Coronavirus Ireland

But figures gathered by the health service show that there is still nearly 1,000 cases - confirmed or suspected - of the virus in hospitals.

As of 8pm on Monday, five Dublin hospitals accounted for more than half of the 680 confirmed cases which were hospitalised.

HSE advice on gloves

The HSE have warned people not to wear disposable gloves when doing their shopping or heading out and about.

Professor Martin Cormican, HSE National Lead for Antibiotic Resistance & Infection Control said that if gloves have the Covid-19 virus on them it can easily be spread to a person.

Prof Cormican said earlier today: "A lot of people are using disposable gloves in everyday life. So, one of our key messages this year for hand hygiene day is that we do not recommend using gloves while doing your shopping or when you are out and about.

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“If there are bugs on your gloves those bugs often end up on your hands when you take the gloves off and from there they can very easily end up in your mouth, nose and eyes.

Cocooners to have two hours of exclusive access to Dublin parks

Cocooning Dubliners are to have two hours of exclusive access to the county’s parks from tomorrow, Wednesday, May 6.

Green spaces will be reserved from 1.30pm until half past three for those aged 70 and over, as well as medically vulnerable people, Dublin Live reports.

Other people are being asked to consider using parks at other times so that those cocooning can have as much space and confidence in physical distancing as possible.

The move comes after Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council came together to create a designated time for cocooners who wish to exercise in their local parks.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Tom Brabazon said of the cross-council initiative: “I would encourage all Dubliners to allow the people that have been cocooning in their community for the last number of weeks the chance to enjoy using their park safely during this dedicated two - hour period every day.”

South Dublin mayor, councillor Vicki Casserly, added: “The Covid-19 crisis brings with it many challenges and often we are having to face it by thinking differently.

“I fully support this innovative plan to allow the Over-70s and medically vulnerable people much needed dedicated space and time in the outdoors - allowing them to get their long-awaited fresh air and exercise in as safe an environment as possible.”

Cocooning Dubliners have also been encouraged to join a new Facebook page set up especially for the over 70s.

CMO can't give clarity on what is considered a big wedding as restrictions are eased

Following the publication of the government’s road map to reopen the country Tony Holohan says large gatherings are still a cause for concern.

He adds he is not yet in a position to advise on what constitutes a big wedding.

18:02

Pub chiefs met with government to discuss reopening sooner than August

Irish pub chiefs met with the Government on Tuesday to discuss reopening earlier than planned.

The Licensed Vintners’ Association (LVA) and the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) will urge Ministers to allow bars to reopen at the same time as cafes and restaurants, which is scheduled for June 29.

Currently, they are not expected to reopen until August 10.

But the LVA and VFI have published a set of radical proposed changes that could enable pubs to follow social distancing guidelines.

They claim this will allow them to open sooner than scheduled.

And in the first step of negotiations, LVA chief Donall O’Keeffe and VFI boss Padraig Cribben will meet Ministers Shane Ross and Brendan Griffin this afternoon to discuss the proposals.

The proposals are as follows:

Bars will become dispense bars only with no sitting, standing, ordering, payment or drinking at the bar allowed

Table service will be a requirement with pubs only serving customers seated at tables

The numbers on the premises would be confined to no more than 4 per every 10 square metres

A maximum of 6 people would be permitted at any one table

Customers will be required to use hand sanitiser upon entry

All customers must remain seated

Staff will be fully trained in the new procedures. They will also be asked to maintain a safe distance from customers when taking orders and to wash their hands thoroughly every 30 minutes

The utilisation of outdoor spaces to enhance social distancing

Procedures implemented to ensure safe use of toilet facilities, which may include limits on the numbers using toilets at any one time

No live music or DJs, and

Gardaí and/or the HSE will have the power to close any business who is flouting the public health guidelines.

Department of Health briefing to get under way at 5.30pm

Our live blog will have all the latest coronavirus figures expected shortly.

15:48

What happens on May 18th?

Public health measures

Face masks

On the topic of face masks, the Government said it will be issuing further guidance on when and where people should wear face masks in the next few days - well in advance of May 18.

People will still be urged to stay at home as much as possible from phase one.

Outdoor meetings

Up to four people who don’t live together can meet outdoors while keeping at least two metres apart.

Funerals

Unfortunately, the current restrictions will remain in place. Attendance at funerals is kept to a maximum of 10 people - and only members of the household, close family or close friends if the deceased has no household or family members.

Fears of surge in homeless numbers after pandemic

Despite a drop in homeless figures in March, charity Depaul Ireland believes this could start to rise sharply if a strong plan is not put in place.

This plan would include:

A rent freeze beyond the June 27th

The moratorium on evictions extended beyond the June 27th

An urgent change in the regulation of short-term lettings

A robust exit strategy for those currently in cocooning in hotels

Allow Local Authorities the option of negotiating longer term leases with landlords, and

A referendum on the right to housing.

Depaul’s CEO David Carroll said: “It is imperative that measures are taken to prevent more individuals and families becoming homeless post Covid-19.

“Plans need to be put in place now in terms of mitigating against a further rise in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Ireland.

“Since the last recession homelessness in Ireland has grown exponentially. We are now facing into another recession and we simply cannot allow a scenario where homelessness grows again.

11:53

Lockdown plan needs 'more urgency'

There should be more urgency in getting Ireland to exit lockdown, an immunology expert has said.

As of today, there is a slight easing of restrictions, with the exercise limit being extended from 2km to 5km.

The majority of coronavirus restrictions remain in place for another two weeks until May 18, with the phased easing of restrictions then set to take place over the next three months.

Over 70s who have been cocooning are being told they can now leave their homes for exercise.

Professor of immunology at NUI Maynooth Paul Moynagh told Newstalk FM recent international mathematical studies have indicated that “the rate of increasing infections was more or less the same, irrespective of whether lockdown was applied or not.

“Most of the benefits we’re seeing are probably due to measures such as social distancing.”

He said that while the roadmap for getting out of lockdown is welcome, he does not sense urgency around it.

Motorists still breaking the rules during restrictions

A motorist with cocaine in their system was clocked travelling at 181km/h over the weekend.

The driver was stopped after smashing the 120km/h speed limit on the M9 on Sunday.

Gardai then made the motorist undergo a roadside drug test which they failed after testing positive for cocaine.

A garda tweet said: “A driver was caught doing 181kmph on the M9 this afternoon. When stopped a roadside drug test was administered which driver failed.

A driver was caught doing 181kmph on the M9 this afternoon. When stopped a roadside drug test was administered which driver failed. Driver arrested with court proceedings to follow. Never drive under the influence#StayHome#ArriveAlivepic.twitter.com/T2BduNjXOr

“Driver arrested with court proceedings to follow. Never drive under the influence.”

It comes as drug driving in Ireland has soared by 80% since the lockdown was brought in - despite a massive 70% drop in traffic.

10:13

Covid-19 payment issued to almost 600,000 people

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection today issued payments valued at €209.3m to 598,000 people in respect of their application for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Around 11,000 people are receiving a payment for the first time.

There are now over 52,000 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme. The payments are in addition to the approximate 205,000 people who were on the Live Register as of the end of March.

All Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment payments issued will be in recipients’ bank accounts or at their local post office today, Tuesday.

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty today said: “The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced at speed for maximum impact so that we could help as many people as possible during what is an unprecedented, once in a century, health emergency. The fact that so many have been moved into payment so quickly is a testimony to the agility and innovation my Department has demonstrated to respond to this crisis.

“We need to respond to the post-pandemic challenge with the same qualities and with a similar impact. Already, on Saturday, the Government announced a suite of measures to further support small, medium and larger businesses to restart, reconnect and rehire staff who have been laid off or furloughed.

“However, as our recent Working Paper on the initial impacts of the pandemic on our labour market demonstrated, some sectors have suffered more than most – particularly retail and hospitality.”

09:50

Aldi change opening hours in Irish stores

Aldi has announced changes to its opening hours in Ireland as the country continues the fight against the pandemic.

The supermarket giant shortened working hours to help support staff during the public health crisis.

However, Aldi said it will reintroduce normal opening hours from this Thursday.

Aldi’s 142 Irish stores will be open from 9am to 10pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm Saturday and Sunday from May 7 onwards.

(Image: SplashNews.com)

A statement said: “Store opening hours had been temporarily shortened to help support staff who have been working tirelessly to serve customers and keep stores at their best every day during heightened demand.”

In a bid to help stop overcrowding during busiest shopping times, the German retailer revealed the quietest times to shop at its supermarkets.

An analysis on shopping periods showed 9am to 11am, and after 7pm, from Sunday to Wednesday to be the best time to shop.

While 12pm to 6pm between Thursday and Saturday is peak shopping time at Aldi stores.

09:16

Minister on future of Covid-19 payment

The Government have insisted they will “look after” those on the Covid-19 payment after it’s scheduled to end although it remains unclear if it will be extended.

The payment of €350 is being paid to those who lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic every Tuesday and is currently scheduled to finish on June 8.

Minister Regina Doherty said there will be “no cliff” that people fall off once this ends but can’t say if it will be extended until the final opening phase in August.

Speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland, the Minister for Social Protection said: “The Department of Social Welfare’s income support will continue to support the people as they are needed, what they are not though is longterm sustainable.

“What we need to do over the coming weeks is to recognise we support people in the short term until they get back to work and then how we support people in the long term to get back to work by retraining, re-skilling and looking at the opportunities that are there.

(Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire)

“It may not be my decision, what the Government is adamant to do is we will have adequate supports in place.

“I think it would be bad if we removed those supports before people go back to work.

“We will continue to look after them, just to reassure people, if people think there is some cliff they are going to fall off, a lot of people will probably be better off on a jobseekers payment than what they are getting on the Covid payment.

“We will continue to look after people long after this pandemic is over.”

The Minister also stated that many people would be better off on normal jobseeker’s payments as opposed to the pandemic payout.

Mrs Doherty added: “If you took a typical family where there is two adults and two children in this country, a jobskeekers payment for that family would be €410 not the €350 they are currently getting.

08:48KEY EVENT

List of restrictions eased today in Ireland

Today marks the first day where there has been some easing of restrictions since a lockdown began in April.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced on Friday that some of the measures would be eased but there will be no significant change until May 18 when the first phase begins.

Here’s all the changes that came into place on Tuesday morning:

people can travel up to 5 kilometres from their home to exercise

those who are cocooning can leave their homes for exercise so long as they avoid all contact with other people

Since March 27, those over 70 have been “cocooning” in their homes in an effort to protect them from the coronavirus.

And while socialising is still not possible, those cocooning are now allowed out of their house, and allowed to walk or drive within 5km of their homes, as long they avoid all contact with others.

Restrictions still in place

All other restrictions remain in place and you can only leave the house for essential journeys and for exercise.

The advice from the Government is listed below;

to travel to and from work where the work is considered an essential service.

working in an essential shop, bank or post office.

to buy food, medicines and other health products for yourself, your family or someone who is vulnerable and cocooning

to attend medical appointments

for vital family reasons including caring for children, elderly or vulnerable people but excluding social family visits

From Tuesday 5 May, you will be able to go up to 5 kilometres from your home to exercise

08:45KEY EVENT

NPHET meet today

The National Public Health Emergency Team will also meet today to discuss the latest response and go over the figures for deaths and cases over the weekend.

The HSE has recorded a slight increase in hospitalised coronavirus patients despite the number of new daily cases gradually declining.

The latest graphs show that Ireland has flattened the curve in the fight against Covid-19.

But figures gathered by the health service show that there is still nearly 1,000 cases - confirmed or suspected - of the virus in hospitals.

As of 8pm on Monday, five Dublin hospitals accounted for more than half of the 680 confirmed cases which were hospitalised.